Glinting in the Dark
by MagikCat
Summary: Alice's Auror skills are tested during her first mission with the order.


_A/N: __I didn't realize I hadn't posted this here yet. __Written as a pitch hit for __**vegablack62**__ in the 2009's __**springtime_gen**__ fest. I have never written Alice and Frank before, but I was happy how this turned out. Thank you to mrstater for all her suggestions and help!_

Alice felt slightly odd as she sat among large group of people in the sizeable room above the Hog's Head Inn. Most had formed into small groups and were chatting before the meeting, and Alice was content to watch them as she sipped on some butterbeer. She had seen each of the Order of the Phoenix members at one time or another, but the only ones she knew personally—besides Professor McGonagall and Hagrid, of course—were Benjy Fenwick, Frank Longbottom and Alastor Moody from the Auror department, the former whom were currently by the fireplace with Hagrid. Benjy had been the one ask her to come, after she complained in frustration about her feelings of uselessness. Frank had been a year ahead of her in Hogwarts, but beyond the usual morning greeting, they had never talked much.

"You're Lewis's daughter, aren't you?" asked a dignified female voice.

Alice looked up at a stately, wavy-haired blond witch with a scarlet shawl wrapped around her shoulders. She nodded. "Yes—I'm Alice Cordel."

The witch held a hand. "Emmeline Vance," she introduced with a smile. "I work in the Department of International Magical Cooperation. I knew your father."

She accepted the hand. Her father had been a member of the Wizengamot, before his … Alice fought the urge to swallow. It still hurt to think about his murder, even three years later.

"You have his eyes, you know," Emmeline observed. "Kind—even with such an unkind profession."

Alice looked at her lap uncomfortably, not knowing how to answer.

"Well, let's call this meeting to order, shall we?" came Dumbledore's voice from the door. Almost instantly, the Order went quiet and placed themselves in the rickety chairs around a large table (except for Hagrid, who sat on the floor). Benjy winked at her as he sat to her left, and Emmaline took the chair to Alice's right, pulling the shawl tighter around her shoulders.

As soon as the rest of the Order was seated, they gazed expectantly at Dumbledore, who placed himself at the head of the table. Alice couldn't help wondering how he still managed to look like a headmaster, even when out of the castle and in a dirty old pub.

"I am glad to see so many of you here," he began, as though they had all gathered for a board meeting. "First thing is first, I would like to introduce our new member, Miss Alice Cordel." He gestured and smiled in her direction. "She is an Auror, and from what Alastor has told me, one of the best in her year."

There were murmurs of general greeting. Benjy elbowed her cheekily and Frank grinned from his friend's other side.

"Mundungus is on a different assignment and Arabella missed the Portkey. But the rest of us seem to be accounted for."

He folded his fingers on the table, a picture of complete calmness. "I've called you all here to tell you we have it on good authority that Death Eaters will be meeting with a few goblins tomorrow night."

There was a slightly stunned silence at this. Alice felt her insides go cold. If the goblins joined You-Know … _Voldemort_—she'd need to get used to saying his name—they'd be in a barrel of dragon shite.

"I thought goblins were staying out of the war?" Fabian—_Or was it Gideon?_ Alice could never tell the difference—finally asked in a careful voice.

Dedalus Diggle nodded hopefully. "Especially after the Death Eaters killed that goblin family in '73."

"We are not seeing this as a definite alliance," Dumbledore said firmly. "However, the fact that they are talking is unsettling. We need Order members to spy on the meeting. No more than two and preferably those who have been trained in stealth and tracking."

"Aurors, you mean?" Mad-Eye Moody growled to Dumbledore's right.

The headmaster nodded. "Precisely."

Moody snorted, rapping on his wooden leg. "'Fraid you'll have to count me out, Albus—I haven't tracked anything smaller than a giant with this old thing." He looked even more bad-tempered than usual as he said it.

"I'll do it."

Looking back, Alice did not even remember forming the words in her head—they just seemed to come out of their own accord.

Oddly, however, she didn't regret it.

"I made top marks in Stealth and Tracking, Professor. I'm sure I could do it." Alice was aware that everyone was looking at her, but she kept her eyes on Dumbledore's as she lifted her chin determinedly.

After a moment, Mad-Eye growled in agreement. "Aye, Dumbledore—any stealthier and she could take a career as a cat burglar." 

Alice gave her mentor a grateful smile.

Dumbledore considered her for a long moment and then slowly nodded. "Very well—I trust both of you know your strengths. However, we still need another Auror. Mr. Fenwick—?"

Benjy shook his head apologetically. "I'm sorry, Professor—I just used the last of my holiday time last month. Scrimgeour made it clear that if I asked for any more time off he'd have me followed." He pointed a thumb at the man beside him. "Frank'll do it, though."

Frank nodded, his face set. "I'll say my mother is ill. She was Scrimgeour's mentor—he'll understand."

Dumbledore looked satisfied. "Very well. I'll give you instructions after meeting. Now, the next order of business…"

As Dumbledore went on, Alice quickly caught Frank's eye, and he gave her a small reassuring smile.

***

"Erg! What a dump!" Frank's grumbled quietly, and there was a sound like a foot being pulled from the mud. "It makes the Hog's Head seem sanitary." He cast an Impervious Charm on their shoes to stop the noise—and the muddy stains.

They had each covered themselves with a Disillusionment Charm with the agreement to throw on the invisibility cloaks when they got closer. Alice could just see her fellow Auror's outline while he stood perfectly still. She doubted she would've been able to see him if she hadn't known he was there.

The half-moon seemed to grin down at them from the sky, lighting up the marsh Dumbledore had set them too. Alice gazed at it thoughtfully. There was enough light to make their job easier, but not too much to give themselves away. She looked carefully around. Goblins were good at seeing in the dark, but wizards weren't.

"Frank, keep an eye out for lamps," she told him quietly, still scanning around the marsh. "The Death Eaters will be carrying one."

"What about a fire?" He pointed at a flickering in the distance that had not been there a moment before. No non-magical person would be able to keep a fire alive in this place without burning the whole marsh.

She nodded. "Fifty feet enough, you think?"

"Better make it seventy-five," he suggested. "They'll be on their guard,"

They Apparated towards the fire—far enough that the Apparition pops signifying their materialization weren't heard but not close enough to sneak in closer. They knelt into the mud, covering themselves with the invisibility cloaks they had borrowed from Moody before standing up again.

"Ready?" Alice whispered, her heart pounding furiously. It was no different than the dozen Auror missions she had done before,she told herself firmly. _Keep a clear head and there won't be any mistakes._

"Yeah," came his disembodied voice. "Let's do this."

It took much longer than Alice would've liked to get towards the fire. She had to be careful to not disturb the grasses too much, and to keep her footsteps light over the sticky mud. As she neared, she saw that it wasn't a camp fire, but a large flame bobbing in a clear orb like some kind of Christmas bauble. Two cloaked figures were sitting beneath it, shuffling edgily. 

Alice stopped only two arm's length away from the nearest wizard.

"…don't see why we 'ave to wait 'ere in the dead of night." He had a wheezy kind of voice that made Alice's skin crawl.

The one in front of her had a voice like sharp rocks rolling down a hill as he replied, "'Cause they asked, that's why."

"Can't believe we're doin' this, Macnair," the voice wheezed again. "Why does the Dark Lord want goblins on 'is side for anyway? He 'as spies everywhere else."

"But not in Gringotts, Amycus," Macnair spoke up.

Alice heard the sound of footsteps and moved out of the way of a fat goblin with a pointed black beard before it walked into her. The wizards jumped when it stepped into the light of the fire.

"You asked to meet with us?" the goblin said with a voice like a bullfrog's.

A smaller but no less devious-looking goblin followed behind him. "Though what your master would want from us is a mystery." His lips curled nastily.

The Macnair figure nodded, taking off his hood. He was tall, with a thick mustache and thin features than made him look a skeleton in the moonlight. He didn't bother to introduce himself or his fellow Death Eaters—it seemed that there would be no polite chitchat. "We hope to come to…ah, an _arrangement_ between goblins and the Dark Lord's followers."

The Fat One crossed his arms, his look mildly polite, but his black eyes were glinting.

Encouraged by the goblin's silence, Macnair went on. "Namely, unlimited use to the tunnels."

"Absolutely not," spat the Small One. Fat One silenced him with a hiss.

"What do we get in return?" Fat One demanded to Macnair.

The Death Eater's smile was slightly patronizing. "More freedom than you would ever get from the Wizarding kind. The Dark Lord is close to victory. Within a few short years, he will have the Ministry of Magic within his grasp."

"Will he now?" Small One said, and there was no mistaking the sneer in his voice.

Amycus spoke this time, and he seemed to be giggling from excitement. "His spies and allies are everywhere, all in positions to rise up in his name if the current leaders are, shall we stay, unable to perform their duties?"

"We goblins have always stayed out of Wizarding wars," Fat One said, his voice neutral.

"And we don't ask that they change that," Macnair assured. "We merely ask that your kind…looks the other way if you find us down there."

Small One snorted. "The tunnels are too complicated for wizards to navigate on their own."

"Our contact in Gringotts will help us with that well enough." Macnair was starting to look impatient.

The two goblins turned their backs on the wizards and began conversing in a harsh tongue Alice didn't understand.

After a minute or two, the two creatures pivoted back around. Their features were neutral again. "And what will we receive to make sure the agreement is binding?" Fat One asked.

Alice's heart seemed to stop. _NO!_

Macnair's eyes were glinting and his mouth almost twisted to a smile. "Carrow?" Alice felt her heart sink. What if this meant—?

The small Death Eater pulled out something from his cloak—a battle ax so large it was a wonder Alice hadn't noticed it was there.

"A weapon that has been in my family for generations," Macnair said as he took it from the short man. "It was made by goblins hundreds of years ago. I now present it back to you as a gift of good will."

He held it out flat on his palms towards the goblins. The blade flashed evilly in the moonlight, and the designed on the haft shown silver.

Fat One pulled on his beard for a moment as he fingered the ax, inspecting. Alice waited, holding her breath.

"It's a fake."

Everything seemed to stand still for a moment. Then Macnair made a choking sound. "_What_? No! No, it can't be—you must be mistaken—"

"You think we don't know our own art?" Small One demanded. "It's a fake. I don't even have to touch it to know."

As the Death Eater's sputtered like madmen, Alice released her breath. Everyone knew how badly goblins look to cheating wizards.

"Yer lying!" Amycus finally yelled.

Small One looked furious. "Do you think we would lie? Lie, when we have fought for years with your kind to take back what is rightfully ours?"

"Even if it had been real," the Fat One said sneeringly, shoving the ax away if disgusted him, "We would not agree to this … arrangement. First, allowing wizards to travel through the tunnels without a goblin is horrendous; and second I still fail to see what we get in return. You are offering me freedom based on the _possibility_ that your Master will win."

"He will! Amycus's wheezy voice piped up.

"No, we had made our decision when we received your letter. We just wanted to let you know face to face. Good night." With that, they disappeared into the marshes.

Macnair swore. "That ax has been in my family for generations! How could it be a—a _fake_?"

"'Ow the 'ell should I know?" Amycus cried, his voice wheezing harder than ever. "It doesn't matter—the Dark Lord ain't goin' to be 'appy that you cost 'im an alliance."

"He was being too hopeful as to think they would join us, anyway! Didn't you hear what that Fatty said?" Macnair drew in a breath, and for the first time, he sounded scared. "The Dark Lord will murder us," he muttered.

"You! Not us!"

With that, they Vanished the large flame and the two Death Eaters Disapparated.

***

"Well … that was interesting," Alice admitted an hour later as she and Frank sat at the bar of the Three Broomsticks. Dumbledore had seemed satisfied with their report, and they thought a drink was the best way to celebrate.

"We made a good team, though," Frank admitted over a glass of Firewhiskey. "I'll have to let you watch my back more often."

Alice grinned. "I'd like that," she said, and she couldn't help but notice how very warm his eyes were.A


End file.
